Pull-cord lock



March 20, 1934. A. PEARsoN PULL CORD LOCK Filed July 14, 1933 n mvENToR:

Any/o fffmso/v, BY Mm,

/'s ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to lock or stop devices for pull-cords,particularly for pull-cords of Venetian blinds, shades and the like, andhas for its main object to provide a device of the mentioned characterwhich will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and toapply, and eicient in operation and use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the typementioned wherein the stopping or locking action on the pull-cord willbe automatic, but it will be easy to release by a sideway pull ormovement of the cord itself, while the locking action may be just aseasily and quickly restored by moving the operating end of the corditself in the reverse, central direction so that the release of thelocking action, as well as the restoring of the same into operation,will be done by manipulating the operating portion of the cord itself.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a device ascharacterized hereinbefore, in which the locking action will beautomatically increased by the normal pull of the weight of the blind,shade, or the like, itself.

Still further objects of this invention will be apparent as thespecification of the same proceeds.

With such objects in view, my invention mainly consists in providing aninclined plane over which the pull-cord will pass in my device. Aroller, ball, or the like will cooperate with said inclined planenormally being in engagement ,with the cord and locking the same by itsfriction with said inclined plane and with the cord with a surfaceprovided for reaction, and arranged above the cord so that the pull onsaid roller element by the cord will have the tendency to move saidroller upwardly on the plane and to increase its locking effect. A firstrocking lever device is also arranged in connection with my invention,acting on the roller, and a second lever device acting on said rst leverand being acted upon by the operating portion of the pull-cord itself,so that when said portion of the pull-cord is moved away from the centerline of the portion of the cord passing through my locking device, saidsecond lever will be disengaged from said f'lrst lever and said firstlever will permit the roller to move downwardly on said inclined planeand free the pullcord, thereby permitting the same to move in eitherdirection.

In the drawing forming a part of the specification and accompanying thesame:

Fig. 1 is a partly sectional side elevation of my assembled deviceindicated in a diagrammatic manner in its application to two pull-cordsof a Venetian blind or the like;

Fig. 2 is an elevation at right angle to that of Fig. 1, of my device,portions of the same having been removed for the sake of clearness ofshowing, the full line positions of said levers in the Figs. 1 and 2being different for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 3 is a partly sectional plan view of the inclined plane employed inmy device and its associated parts;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the inclined plane andsome associated parts, the section being taken on the line 4 4 of Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is a detailed showing of the first mentioned rocking lever inplan view, while Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the same;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the mentioned second rocking lever, shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawing more closely, by characters of reference,the numeral l0 indicates my device in general having two main portions,a supporting bracket 11 and a housing 12, with the various parts of mydevice arranged therein.

Bracket 11 has a vertical branch 13 and a horizontal branch 14, and mydevice will be secured through that bracket by any appropriate means toa portion of the window, like the head casing or head board of aVenetian blind, or any other element on which my stopping device is tobe used and to be hidden therein. The element to which my device issecured is not shown on the drawing, but in Fig. 1, I indicate twopullcords 15 and 16 to which my device is applied, said pull-cords beingled through appropriate pulleys 17 and 18 and so turned into horizontalside by side relation, whereupon they will enter my device at its lefthand open end 19 and leave it at the right hand open end 20, the cordsbeing guided and their direction being changed in the device through athird pulley 21. The casing 12 is of a reversed channel shape having aleft hand side 22, right'hand side 23 and top 24, the bottom of the samebeing formed by the horizontal branch 14 of the bracket l1 and the samebeing secured on said branch 14 as by the riveted tongues 25 adjacent tothe left hand end 19 of the casing. Inclined plate 26 is secured acrossthe casing 12 to a certain distance towards the center thereof, saidplate having the tongues or projections 27 (Figs. 1 and 3), by which itis secured into the walls 22 and 23 of the casing, while the inner endthereof is supported by a pin'28 also secured into said side walls.Inwardly of said pin 28 the further portion of said plate 26 is turnedupa bracket to secure the same on an element in a window, or the like,to which the pull-cord is applied; a channel shaped housing secured onsaid bracket open at both ends, the cord to be locked passing throughsaid housing; an inclined piane in said housing, underneath the cord; abottom extension for said inclined plane; a roller normally i'reelyresting in said extension and being out of engagement with said cord; alever rockably arranged between the walls of said housing:

an extension on said lever adapted to engage said roller, and means tooperate said lever from the outside whereby the rocking of said leverwill cause said extension to engage said roller and raise it upwardly onsaid plane and into engagement with said cord, an upward riding of said

